Folding horse



H. c. CAMPBELL ZAEZEW FOLDING HORSE Filed Dec. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Um 3946 v H. c. CAMPBELL 3 FOLDING HORSE Filed Dec. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nvent'or Harv C"- (ampbel l Patented Dec. 17, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFl FOLDING HORSE Harry C. Campbell, Toledo, Ohio Application December 15, 1945, Serial No. 635,168

2 Claims. I 1

My invention relates to folding horses, or trestles, of the type disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,312,956, dated March 2, 1943, and over which the instant invention is designed as an improvement.

My instant invention is designed with the primary object in view of providing an all-metal horse, or trestle, for use in the building trades and comprising parts all of which may be inexpensively stamped out of metal by a punch press or the like.

Another object is to provide in such horses improved means for maintaining the legs of the horse unfolded and rigid, together with means adapting such horses for greater utility than present-day horses, or trestles.

Still another object is to simplify the connection between the legs and the back member and to generally strengthen the composite structure, particularly when unfolded.

Other and subordinate objects, also comprehended by my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements and the manifold advantages thereof will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved horse, or trestle, unfolded,

Figure 2 is a view of the same in end elevation,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective, drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, and illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which the legs of one pair are folded,

Figure 5 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section taken on the line 66 of Figure 5 and illustrating one of the legs partly folded,

Figure 7 is a view in bottom plan of one of the hinge braces,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section of the shelf drawn to a further enlarged scale,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in tion of one of the legs,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view in bottom plan of the back member, and

Figure 11 is a view in bottom plan of one of the hinge plates.

Reference being had to the drawings by numerrear elevaals, my improved horse, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, comprises, as usual, an elongated back member I and a pair of opposed legs 2 at each end of said member'diverging, in each pair, toward the lower ends thereof. The back member I and the legs 2 are tubular and preferably of rectangular shape in cross section; A pair of opposed. beveled notches 3 are provided in the sides of the back member I adjacent to opposite ends of said member and in which the upper ends of the pairs of legs 2 are adapted to seat when the horse is unfolded, and as shown, for instance, in Figure 3. The back member I and the'legs 2 may be formed of any light, strong metal suitable for stamping andbending.

Flat feet 4, preferably rectangular, are provided for the lower ends of the legs 2 with shanks 5 fitting in said ends. The feet 4 are also preferably formed of metal. I

A compound hinge connection is provided between each pair of legs 2 and the back member I comprising the following: Atransverserow of hinge barrels 6 is formed on the bottom of said member I adjacent to each end of the same, with said barrels laterally spaced in the row. The hinge barrels 6 are preferably formed by stampin tongues out of the bottom ofsaid member I, as best shown in Figure 6, and rolling'said tongues into barrel form. The rows of hinge barrels 6 are aligned withthe inner edges of the notches 3. A similar row of hinge barrels l is similarly provided on the rearside of each leg for each pair of legs 2 adjacent to the upper ends of the legs. A rectangular hinge plate 8 with laterally spaced hinge barrels 9, I0, I I on. three edges thereof is provided ,2, with the hinge barrels 9 on one edge of plate 8 alternating with and connecting to the row of hinge barrels 6 by a ,pintle I 2, and the hinge barrels I8, II on the other edges of said plate 8 similarly connected, by pintles I3, i4 to the hinge barrels I. of the legs '2 respectively,

Aswill now be seen, by virtue of the described compound hinge connection, the legs 2 of each pair may be swung toward each other, from unfolded position, on the hinge plates 8 from diverging relation in each pair into substantially parallel relation, and then swung, together with said plates 8, in pairs, alongside the back member I substantially parallel with said back.

A hinge brace pair of legs intermediate the ends of said legs, and functions to maintain the legs of each pair in divergent relation. Each hinge brace I5 comprises a pair of links I6, I1 of inverted channel I5 connects the legs 2 of each rods *2 I extend-endwise between the pairs :erably' the shelf 26 is formed-of corrugated for strengthening .purposes, with the corruga- :bars 2 l v and the shelf interposed between said braces,

form with inner ends pivotally connected together, as at I8, and the inner end of one link 16 arranged to overlap the other link 11 to form an upwardly breaking joint between said links whereby the links are prevented from breaking downwardly out of aligned relation. The outer ends of the links I6, 11 are pivoted to the rear sides of the legs 2, as at IS, in brackets 20 and so that said links l6, l1, may be swung upwardly in the plane o'fithe'pair of;legs 2 connected :by the described'hingebrace.

Pairs of brace rods 2| are provided for cooperation with the hinge braces Hi to maintain the pairs of legs 2 fully unfolded and said pairsof legs 2 in planes at substantially a right angle to the back member I. The pairs of brace rods2l are pivoted, as at 22, to opposite ends of an attaching bracket 23 suitably secured to the bottom of the back member I centrally of said member. Hooked outer ends 24 are provided on the brace for insertion in slots 25 in the links l6,

l1 ofthehinge braces l5. As best shoWninFig- -.ure'3,"th eislots 24,.arespaced apart,and thepivots -'2 2.- connect the inner ends f :the pairs of brace :jrods 2l together1so-that said :rods in each pair .diverge, relatively, 2.:against lateral twisting.

tostabilize the pairs of legs horse structure to of legs 2. Pref- A-shelf 26.is provided in the ,-tions-extending,longitudinally of the shelf, and said shelf is formed with hook-shaped upstanding end-flanges 21 for reinforcing the ends of the shelf lengthwise. Apairof S-shaped hooks 28 'iareprovidedeat-:eachendof the shelf 26 upon opposite sides 'of .the longitudinal center of the ..shelf,;said hooks having innerends 29 riveted, as

at 30, to the flanges 21 inside said flanges. The

.-,outer'-ends ,of the hooks 28, are fitted downwardly instaple-likekeepers 3 I, one of which is provided on theinner sides of-eachrlink HS, l'l.

It .is to be particularly noted that the brace 26, since the pairs of brace bars 2|incline downwardly from the back mem- .ber l to-thehingerbraces l5, and the shelf 26 is function to main- .tainthepairs of legs 2 ,infully unfolded position and also function to prevent the hingebraces vfrom breaking upWa-r'dlmthereby maintaining the :legs of-reachpair in-properly divergent relation. .Thus, ,a dual safety provision results by virtue ,ofruseof said 'bar ll and the shelf 26 so that ,accidentalcollapse of the horse cannot occur.

.If the shelf ,26 is detached, when it isinot ,desired to .used the. same,

the brace bars 2! alone will suifice to preventcollapse of the horse, as :willbe clear. If the bracebars 2! are detached from the links .l6, H, ,as through accident, the

shelf .26 will suffice to prevent the horse from collapsing.

The manner in which the described horse is .adapted to be folded andunfolded will bereadmetal,

. nections between said swinging of the legs .toward the pairs of legs. ations described in connection with folding are ily understood. the keepers 3|, from the hinge braces pairs on said'compoun'd hingeconnection parallel to the back member I with the brace ro'ds 2| lying between the hinge braces l5 and the plates 8 of To unfold the horse, the operreversed, as will be clear.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is sus ceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein-reserved tosuch modifications-asfall within the scope of the appended claims. What I" claim is: 1. A trestle of the class described comprising a bar-like back member, pairs of legs at opposite ends of said member, compound hinge connections between said member and each pair of legs adapting the legs in each pair to be swung toward each other and eachpair of legs to be swung toward said member, pairs of hinge'bracesbetween the legs of 'each pair for preventing swinging of the legs toward each other and comprising break joint connections whereby'said braces are opera- 1 tive to swing said legs toward each other, means extending betweensaidmember and said braces for locking-said bracesagainst break joint operation, and means interposed between the braces of each pair of legs'forpreventing swinging of the legs towardsaid member, the first-mentioned means comprising rods pivoted on said member and attached to said braces for detachment therefrom byrpivotal movement of the rods.

2. A trestle of the class described comprising a'bar-like back member, pairs .of legs at opposite-ends of said member, compound hinge conmember and each pair of legs adapting the legs in each pair to be swung toward each other and each pair of legs to be swung towardsaid member, pairs of hinge braces between the legs of each pair for preventing each other and comprising break joint connections whereby said braces are operative to .swing said legs toward each other, means extending between said member and said braces forlocking said braces against break joint operation, and means interposed between the braces of each pair of legs for preventing swinging of the legs toward said member, the second-mentioned means comprising a shelf detachably attached tosaid braces.

HARRY c. CAMPBELL. 

